Shawn and Gus in the Big PineApple
by Cartega
Summary: Shawn and Gus are up to their usual antics when sent to New York City for a Consultant Convention. They inadvertently get wrapped up in a White Collar crime and team up with an ex-conman and a special agent.
1. Chapter 1

_Author's Note: Yep, I just had to! Combining USA Network's two best shows will be so much fun. Please REVIEW your thoughts. _

**Santa Barbara, California **

"That's it. Shawn, when are you going to learn to follow Police procedure?" Henry Spencer yelled at his overly sarcastic son.

"I was thinking never, with a side of EVER," the fake psychic replied.

The chief of the SBPD entered the room upon hearing the yelling, "Henry, Mr. Spencer and Mr. Guster did catch the murderer. No matter how unorthodox his methods were, they did a good job."

"Thank you, Chief," Gus said, "For the record, I did try and convince Shawn to call Lassiter."

Shawn hit his best friend since grade school in the arm, "Really? You're sucking up to her?"

"However, we do want you two to learn more about how consultants should act according to your position," the chief started.

"Whoah, Whoah, Whoah, this isn't going to be like the Police Academy thing again, is it? Because we all know how that turned out," Shawn said with a half smile.

"No, I will not be having another fiasco like that anytime soon," Henry said dismally.

"We're sending you to a Police/FBI Consultant Conference in New York City. You'll be leaving tomorrow," Karen Vick announced.

Carlton Lassiter was passing by when he heard "New York City" and had to intrude, "Did someone say New York City? There's a convention going on there in a couple of days and Special Agent Peter Burke will be speaking. You know, he's the only one to catch Neal Caffrey." Lassiter looked starstruck.

"Neal Cafe? Like coffee? Which reminds me, I could really use some Starbucks..." Shawn interrupted.

"Neal Caffrey. He's a conman, he got busted a couple years ago for bond forgery. What about him?" Juliet O'Hara entered the room.

"Well now that we're all here, We're sending all four of you to New York City for the convention. This is not a vacation," Chief Vick said sternly, seeing the delight on Shawn and Gus's faces.

"Righto, Chief," Shawn said, suppressing the childlike grin.

**New York City **

"Seriously, Peter. You're not really going to make me come with you to this convention?" Neal Caffrey asked in disgrace.

"You're the best CI there is, Neal. Besides, we can show off the new technology," Peter teased mercilessly.

Neal glanced down at his tracking anklet, "That was low."

"Sorry, Neal. There's no getting out of it. It wasn't my decision, either." The special agent glanced at Reese Hughes in his office.

Neal sighed, "Fine."

"This is going to be fun," Peter noted.

"Oh, just peachy."

"Boss, we got a hit on the Warhol piece stolen. An anonymous tip was posted online," Diana Berrigan entered Peter's office.

"Thanks, Diana. What was the tip?"

"The person that left it saw a tall, caucasian male, brown hair, green eyes walk away from the museum and loaded a painting in a truck."

"That would be our thief. At least we know some physical characteristics now, too bad they didn't tell us more," Peter said, disappointed.

"It's a shame. You know, I could do some digging in the streets for a guy that matches that description. Could take some time though..." Neal suggested.

"Nice try, Neal. You're still going to come to the convention with me."

Caffrey muttered something under his breath. "What did you say, I couldn't hear you," Peter asked.

"I said your hair looked nice is all," the consultant replied.


	2. Chapter 2

**Santa Barbara, California **

"Can you believe it, buddy? We're headed to the Big Pineapple!" Shawn said ecstatically as he packed his bags.

"I'm pretty sure it's the Big Apple, Shawn," Gus said, annoyed.

Shawn just shrugged and said, "I've heard it both ways."

Gus ignored his friend's usual comeback and began to pack his laptop into its case.

"So, what are you going to do with Juliet while you're there?" Gus asked.

"What? I don't know, I wasn't really thinking about it."

"I mean, since you guys got together on a trip, I thought it would be obvious you would do something special, just the two of you," Burton Guster suggested.

"I did not think of that," Shawn started over enunciating his words.

"You're doing it again," Gus pointed out.

"Doing what?" he continued to overdo it.

"You're over enunciating your words because you feel awkward."

"Shut. Up." Shawn said.

"About what?" Juliet walked into the Psych office.

"Nothing, we were just talking about food," Shawn lied.

"As usual... I'm so excited for this trip, Shawn! You know, I always wanted to go there, and finally I get to," Juliet said.

"We're excited too. Speaking of too, too bad Lassyface is coming along, though," Shawn said.

"Oh, stop Shawn. This trip will be good for him. He's really excited to hear this Peter Burke guy," Juliet defended her police partner.

"He sounds boring," Shawn noted.

"You think everyone sounds boring," Gus said.

"That is so not true. I don't think Ming- Ming sounds boring."

"Who's Ming-Ming?" Juliet asked.

"You know, from Wonder Pets, the duck? She doesn't sound boring to me," Shawn explained, trying to hide a smile.

"Really?" Juliet and Gus said simultaneously.

**NYC **

"We found the truck. It was ditched outside of the Lincoln Tunnel," Clinton Jones told his boss.

"Good job, Jones," Peter said absentmindedly.

"Do you think he's out of the state? You seem distracted," the agent said, concerned.

"Sorry, I'm just thinking of the convention tomorrow. I think it's a ruse, he's trying to think he's out of the city. Most likely, he's still here somewhere."

"What's the plan?" Jones asked, Peter had never been this unconcerned.

"Well, our thief will want to sell it as soon as possible. Caffrey can probably get a meeting with him as a potential buyer." Peter said, snapping back to attention.

"Alright, back in the van," Jones said flatly.

**Santa Barbara Airport, the next day**

"Gus, come on! We're going to miss the flight," Shawn prodded his African American friend along.

"Shawn, if I get on that plane without an air sickness patch, it will not be pretty."

"Hurry up!" he called as Gus walked into one of the small stores in the airport carrying the motion sickness patches.

Lassiter passed them, "Spencer! Hurry up, you're going to miss the flight... Actually, take your time."

"Your humor is overwhelming," Shawn said more to himself than Lassiter who was disappearing into the crowd.

Juliet met up with the two private detectives, "We have to hurry Shawn, I will not be missing this flight."

"I love determination, Jules. We have to wait for Magic Head over there," he glanced over at Gus.

"I wish he was Strong Stomach..." Juliet said impatiently.

Burton Guster hurried out of the store. He glanced at his watch and started to jog, "C'mon guys!" They all set off in a sprint. Just in time, they made it to the plane.

"That was way too close," Gus said, trying to catch his breath as he put his bags on the overhead compartment.

Juliet, Shawn, and Lassiter shot dirty looks at him. "What?" Gus asked. The flight took off, and the Psych gang were headed to the Big Pineapple.

_Author's Note: Please Review_


	3. Chapter 3

**New York City**

"A consultant can be one of your departments greatest assets," Peter opened the conference up.

Lassiter looked slightly disappointed. Shawn stifled a laugh and disguised it as a yawn.

"Oh no, there will be no sleeping, Shawn. This is department money we're spending," Juliet said strictly.

"Yes, Commander Jules, ma'am!" Shawn retorted.

As Peter Burke addressed the large crowd, the fake psychic felt more and more groggy until something that the special agent said pricked his attention. Another man walked onto the stage. It was his hair that made Shawn perk up.

"This is my CI, Neal Caffrey," Burke introduced.

"Dude! Do you see his hair?" Shawn elbowed Gus.

"That is one fine head of hair," he agreed. Shawn glanced at Juliet, who was staring at Neal Caffrey with her mouth wide open.

"Jules! Tell me you're not going gaga over him," he asked, looking disgusted at her.

"I'm sorry Shawn, but he is.."

Shawn cut her off, "Don't say it." He observed the criminal consultant closer. He was in his late twenties, maybe early thirties. Neal had on a fancy suit. Shawn noticed something just below his pant leg. It looked like an anklet.

Shawn put his hand to his head, "Ah, Jules. You wouldn't date a criminal, would you?"

"Shawn, do not be ridiculous, he is not a criminal. He works for the FBI," his blonde girlfriend said.

"Then why do the spirits tell me that he is wearing a tracking anklet?" Shawn said, tapping on his head.

"Shawn! Just because you're jealous of his hair!"

"His hair, is fantastic. But, the spirits don't make me lie," Shawn said, pointing at Neal Caffrey's leg.

Someone shouted out in the crowd, "What's on your ankle?"

Peter Burke laughed, "I'm glad you asked."

"I'm not," Neal said quietly.

The speaker ignored the comment and explained, "If you didn't know already, Neal Caffrey was convicted of bond forgery. For the rest of his sentence, he is consulting for the FBI under my supervision. So we don't lose him, we'll say, he has a tracking anklet that has a two mile radius when he's not with me."

"Maybe we should get you one of those, Spencer," Lassiter said with an evil smile.

Shawn chose to refrain the retort he was going to say to watch Neal unhappily model his anklet.

"The spirits never lie," Shawn said to Juliet.

Peter Burke was explaining how the anklet worked when he glanced at his watch. He dismissed everyone for a forty-five minute lunch break.

Lassiter watched Peter and Neal make their way to an exit. He started to follow.

"Carlton, what are you doing?" Juliet asked suspiciously.

"Nothing, I was just curious on how Burke was going to treat that con man," he replied quickly.

"Do you want to meet him?"

Lassiter looked a bit guilty," Yes."

"Well then, let's go!" Shawn burst into the conversation.

"Are you agreeing with Lassiter?" Gus asked.

"C'mon, Gus," Shawn said quietly, "We'll be able to talk to Neal Cafe and ask how he does his hair!"

"It's Caffrey, Shawn. But, I like how you think," Gus admitted.

"Of course you do! Have I ever steered you wrong?" Gus opened his mouth to speak, but Shawn added, "Don't answer that."

The four Californians went out the same exit as Neal and Peter did, and saw they had gone into a small cafe for lunch.

"I knew his name was Cafe. That's probably his shop!" Shawn said as they crossed the street.

"An ex con man that owns a cafe and consults the FBI in his free time, right," Gus said sarcastically, "Cuz that makes sense."

They entered the shop and looked around for the fed and con man. Shawn's fast eyes found them first sitting at a table in the far corner. Lassiter strided over to him.

"Lassyface! Have some class!" Shawn called to him before he got close enough for them to notice him.

At the word "class", Neal Caffrey looked up. Seeing the group made him disappointed, they weren't the classiest people in the world. Well, except for the young woman with them. Sadly, she was very close to the short, brown haired, goofy guy. He could only assume they were an item. Shame. He redirected his attention to Peter again.

"Has Felicity Caidmen contacted you lately?"

"Caidmen? That was out of the blue. No word from her, Peter."

Shawn walked over to their table, "Felicity Caveman? Maybe you should try the Prehistoric Age, or the Ice Age."

Peter and Neal looked at him strangely, "Who are you?"

Juliet intruded, "I'm sorry, this is Shawn, I'm Juliet."

"Pleased to meet you, Juliet," Neal said with one of his winning smiles.

Peter shot him a dirty look. Lassiter arrived last after Gus.

"The name's Carlton Lassiter, Head Detective for the Santa Barbara Police Department." he introduced.

Realization dawned on Peter, "Are you here for the conference?"

"Yes, we are," Juliet said, "I'm Lassiter's partner and these are our consultants, Shawn Spencer and..."

Shawn stopped her short. "This is my partner, Flip Flop." Gus shot him an annoyed look.

"Flip-flop?" Neal asked.

"It's Burton Guster, but you can call me Gus."

Neal looked at the both of them strangely, "So, what's your expertise?"

"I am a psychic. Gus here is a pharmaceutical salesman."

"A psychic, huh?" Peter said skeptically.

"Yes, we're both co-owners of Psych, a psychic detective agency. We've solved many cases, perhaps you've heard of us." Shawn said with a grin.

Peter said no at the same time as Neal said yes.

"You have?" Peter asked.

"Mozzie," he said simply.

That led to no more conversation between the two and they all stood there in silence.

"So, Neal, I have a question for you," Shawn broke the silence.

"I might have an answer for you, depends on the question," he replied.

"What do you use for your hair?"

Neal laughs and tells him the product while Lassiter and Peter get talking.

"Is your consultant as frustrating as mine are?" Lassiter asked.

"Definitely, right when you think he's following orders her goes off and does his own thing.

Lassiter looked like Christmas had come early, "Thank you! Finally, someone understands."

Peter smiles and they start chatting about work.

"So that's all you do," Neal finished.

"Jules, should I grow out my hair?"

"No," she said firmly.

"Sheesh. Feel strongly about that? So, who's Felicity Caidmen?" Shawn asked Neal.

"No one, just someone we've been looking for," Neal replied.

"Maybe we could help you out, we've found missing people before." Gus suggested.

"Nah, if Caidmen doesn't want to be found, she won't be. We do need some help, though. Don't tell Peter I'm telling you this, but a Warhol piece was stolen a couple days ago."

"A Warhol? I heard about that," Juliet said.

Neal tried to hide his impressed look, "The guy was good. The only lead we have is from an anonymous tip. Tall, caucasian with brown hair."

"I'm sensing you don't believe the tip," Shawn said. He had noticed the flicker of doubt on Neal's face after he had told them.

"Yeah, how'd you know that?" Neal asked.

In reply, Shawn put his hand to his head.

"How can we help you?" Juliet asked.

"Peter's got me stuck at this convention thing all week. I would be able to do some digging in the streets, but I'm here all day." Neal said, shooting an annoyed look at the FBI agent.

"We could do that for you," Shawn said eagerly.

"Oh no, Shawn. you're staying at the convention. You two are the only reason why we're here. I'll go and see what I can do," Juliet said with a smile.

"You need an in with people, I'll get Mozzie.," Neal said thoughtfully.

"Mozzie?" Peter asked, overhearing the conversation.

"Congrats, Peter. You have four new consultants.

**Author's Note: SO two things. **

**Uno: Felicity Caidmen is my own character in my White Collar story, _Miniaturized. _I would love for you guys to read it. **

**Dos: Thank you all for favoriting/ subscribing. Please drop a review as well! **


	4. Chapter 4

"Neal, no," Peter protested.

"I am sensing that you need our help," Shawn pointed out.

"Absolutely not, we don't need any outside help," the special agent said firmly.

"Alright then, Burke the Jerk," Shawn taunted.

Peter and Neal exchanged glances and started to crack up. Gus stared at them.

"It really wasn't that funny."

Peter tried to catch his breath, "That's what Neal called me before I caught him."

Lassiter stepped into the conversation, "We don't want to butt in. We'll stay out of the case."

"Thank you, Carlton," Peter said sincerely. Neal gave Juliet, Shawn, and Gus a wink unseen by Peter and Lassiter.

Shawn nodded at Neal, "Without consultants I don't think the police department could solve any really important cases, would you say the same thing about here in New York, Neal?"

"Definitely. Without me, I doubt Peter could have closed the half the cases we've been doing together."

Both Peter and Lassiter protested at the same moment.

"Spencer, you don't know what you're talking about!"

"A cell with your name on it is already waiting, Neal."

"I challenge you two to a competition. Consultants vs. Police/FbI!" Shawn exclaimed.

"You're on! C'mon Juliet!" Lassiter said, practically running for the door, "Oh, and you, Peter!"

Peter was speechless, but at Neal's cocky gleam in his eyes, he accepted the challenge.

"You're on, Caffrey." Neal smiled in sweet victory, but said nothing.

"So much for the convention thing," Gus said as they toured the museum the painting was in.

"All it took was Lassiter getting competitive. I knew he would take the bait," Shawn shrugged.

"Too bad Neal has to be at the convention with Peter. He could be helpful right now."

"Please, we do not need that sappy, romantic, fabulous haired con to help us solve this case!" Shawn was getting flustered with suave con man. He was hitting on Juliet, and it seemed the blonde Junior Detective was falling head over heels for him.

Gus knew what Shawn was thinking, "Juliet loves you, Shawn. She might be smitten with Neal Caffrey, but that does not mean she wants him."

"Smitten?" Shawn looked dismayed, "This thing between us is so fragile, Gus. It just started a couple of weeks ago. If I don't deliver a good date, maybe it will fall apart, and there will be Neal, with open arms." He was being serious, a side Gus didn't see very often. It meant that this was really bothering Shawn.

"Shawn, if you're worried Neal will sweep her off her feet. Well, why don't you just let him do it for you?" Gus suggested.

"I'm not in the mood for you to go bragging on how you can speak Spanish, Gus. Speak English!"

He rolled his eyes and explained his suggestion, "Ask Neal to help you set up a date for you and Juliet."

"That is for once genius, Gus. Why do you not have a girl yet?" Shawn hit his friend playfully on the arm.

Gus's smile shrank to a frown, he wasn't surprised Shawn had said that, it fit him totally. He snapped back out of his thoughts when he saw Shawn intently staring at the ceiling, to be specific, the ventilation system.

"Well, it looks like that tip was a fake," Shawn said, still studying the vent.

"How do you know that?" Gus asked.

The screw on that vent is loose, it's not screwed in all the way," the highly observant eyes of Shawn noticed.

"That could be from anything, Shawn!" Gus said, exasperated.

"Do not be an unbelieving fairy wing, Gus. Why is the other one partially undone as well?"

"Coincidence," Gus said simply.

"There is no such things as coincidence!"

"So that coffee maker that was broken when I walked into the Pysch office wasn't coincidence?"

"Exactly..." Shawn said slowly.

"Shawn! That was the new Keurig!"

"Gus, I don't have time for this! There is an art thief on the loose!"

"But, they have cameras. Don't you think they would have picked up someone getting in and out of the vents?"

"It was probably on a loop. That means..." Shawn paused for dramatic effect, "it was a job from the inside!"

"But what about the van they found? And you're forgetting that they caught someone with brown hair stealing the painting on tape."

"Unless," Shawn said, thinking out loud, but did not complete his thought, "I need to talk to Neal!"

It was a little later on in the day when they met Neal for lunch.

"So, what did you find out?" Neal asked.

"The tip was a fake," Shawn stated.

"I knew that..." the con man said flatly.

"There's one thing that I need to know. Would people steal forgeries?"

"If they're really good, some con artists might. Forgeries can sell for big money in the underground market." Neal shrugged, Why?"

"Our brown haired suspect doesn't have the original painting . He stole a forgery that was put there by another thief. It seems that he was beaten to it by someone else. We also think that it was an inside job. The cameras were put on a loop for awhile. The robber escaped through the vents right above the artwork."

"That's impossible. The art couldn't have fit in the vents!" Neal said, "It wouldn't fit."

"Unless the painting..."

"It was a set up! The painting is still somewhere in the museum. The inside guy was setting our brown haired suspect to get caught." Neal cut off Shawn's big reveal.

"So, we find the real painting and then when the painting pops up, we got him," Gus joined in.

"We should get Peter on this," Neal started to pull his phone out.

"No, man! What's the matter with you! We are in the middle of a competition here!" Shawn exclaimed.

Meanwhile, Juliet was undercover, trying to find the mysterious brown haired thief. So far she was having no luck, so she headed back to the hotel they were staying. Carlton and Peter were hard at work trying to find something about him at the FBI office, Frustrated, She changed directions and started to go to the restaurant where Shawn had told her where they were. The consultants' ways may be unorthodox, but they got results.

**A/N: Hey guys! I hope you're enjoying the story! Please write a quick review for me :) Also, tomorrow I will be at camp for the week! I will be back on the 8th and will post the next chapter ASAP. **


	5. Chapter 5

"So, the next step is finding the inside guy," Gus said as Neal, Shawn, and he walked to the convention center the next day.

"You think Juliet will spill our discovery?" Neal asked.

"Oh, I'm sure she has. They probably didn't listen, though," Shawn answered, Gus was nodding in agreement. Juliet had overheard their lead when she went to see him after she had no luck undercover.

"You mean, you guys discover something and Lassiter doesn't even check it out?" the con man's puzzled expression made the two Californians laugh.

"He never checks out our leads. That's the fun of it!" Shawn hopped in excitement.

Neal nodded his head in shame, "Peter isn't that bad..."

"Don't feel guilty, Lassiter is just... well, Lassiter," Gus said.

"Guilty? Neal Caffrey?" Shawn slapped him playfully on the shoulder.

Neal gave him a half smile. It quickly faded when he saw that they had arrived at the convention center.

"Have fun, my friend!" Shawn called as Neal walked through the doors.

"Shawn, when are you going to ask Neal for help with your date with Juliet? It's Tuesday, and we leave Saturday!" Gus chided.

"Don't be a rushing banana car, Gus," Shawn said annoyedly, "I'll ask him tonight."

* * *

Meanwhile, Lassiter and Peter were walking towards the convention center.

"Sometimes I just want to strangle Neal, but he has a good heart. Spencer and Guster seem insane, though," Peter said.

"You don't even know the half of it," Carlton started.

"But, they get results," the FBI agent noted.

Carlton was speechless. "But, they're so unorthodox. Spencer is nuts," he sputtered out.

"So is Neal. That doesn't mean he gets good results. From what you're partner told us, they have a good lead and it makes sense. I want to follow it."

"What? Fine, I'm working alone then," Lassiter said stubbornly.

"You have no access to anything here in New York, but suit yourself," Peter shrugged.

"Well... Fine. I'll follow Spencer's lead," Lassiter shouted as the special agent walked up the steps to the convention center.

**A/N: Ridiculously short, I know :( I have a bad case of Writer's Block. I'll hopefully be able to write a long chapter. Leave a review for encouragement! **


	6. Chapter 6

"How was the convention?" Shawn asked in a sing-song voice.

"People pestering me with questions and staring at me with awe or disgust? Just great, thanks for asking," Neal said sarcastically.

"Well, I've got good news, buddy! Peter's on our side. So is Lassiter, but mainly, it's Peter who's on our side, and Jules, obviously." the fake psychic sputtered out rapidly. Gus cast his best friend an unimpressed look.

"Speaking of Juliet," Gus started to say.

"Will you help me set up a date for me and her," Shawn finished quickly.

"Me?" Neal asked.

"Since, you know the city so well and all..." Shawn said awkwardly.

"Um,yeah. Sure, I can do that," Neal hid his disappointment. Juliet was a fantastic woman. It would be a good rebound after he and Sarah breaking up. Now, Shawn had made a perfect move- have him set up a date for them so there's no chance for them to have their own date. He's one smart "psychic", Neal thought.

"Churros!" Shawn exclaimed eagerly, seeing the street vendor.

"Oh, you know that's right," Gus followed his friend. Neal looked exasperatedly at them.

"Is this really the moment?"

"It's always the moment for churros, Neal. C'mon, it's on us," Shawn waved one in the air.

The con man swaggered over to the stand and grudgingly took a bite. A look of surprise and enjoyment lit up his face.

"This is amazing!" Neal said.

Shawn was shocked, "Dude, don't tell me you've never had a churro before!"

"Ok, I won't tell you," Neal said.

"You're joking, right?" Gus was staring at him in disbelief.

"Nope, I'll be sure to have more, though," Neal composed himself, "Let's get to the museum to get the inside guy."

Shawn thoughtfully took a bite out of his churro and said with his mouth full, "If he's still there."

* * *

Peter and Carlton had, at that moment, finally left the convention center. Many people wanted to talk to the agent who caught the great Neal Caffrey.

"Finally! Is this what it's like all the time? I'll stick to Head Detective," Lassiter was trying to hide his jealousy.

Peter shrugged, "I don't usually get this. I didn't know so many people knew about Neal."

"We do a study of him during the Academy," Carlton told him.

"Really? Don't tell Neal that, his ego is big enough."

"So, do you think Shawn is a psychic?"

Peter laughed, "I work with a con man. You can't tell when he's lying, and you can't prove that he is. You've got a really good deluder, Carlton. Shawn could be a psychic, or maybe he's not. Just like Neal might be changed, or maybe he's the same."

"So, you don't?"

"That's for your department to decide, not me. If Shawn can keep up a fiasco this long, maybe he really is a psychic," Peter said in a skeptical tone.

"All I need is proof..." Lassiter said in deep thought.

Peter chuckled, "That comes out on its own. Just wait until Spencer messes up."

"It's been five years!" the head detective said annoyedly.

The special agent shrugged, "We've got a case to solve, and your psychic could come in handy."

Peter heard his cell phone ring. It was Neal. He rolled his eyes and answered it.

"Turn around." Peter obliged and looked around. There was Neal, grinning childishly. It was an almost perfect match to Shawn's smile when he was up to something.

"I don't like you hanging around those two," Peter said, walking towards the small group of crime consultants.

Juliet walked out of the convention center. Her makeup was done again (which was something she normally did not do) and her hair was fixed.

"Juliet, you look nice!" Shawn said as she walked out.

"Thank you, Shawn!" she said surprised. She was expecting a compliment from Neal. Shawn didn't really notice these kinds of things. Neal and Shawn exchanged glances. The con man had been giving the psychic tips on how to woo a girl.

"Let's get to the museum and find our inside man," Peter suggested, "The more we wait, the longer they have to slip away."

"If they're there, that is," Shawn added, "Hey! That's fun to say. They're there, They're there, They're there..." Gus had joined in.

Neal was about to when he saw Peter's look. He looked away guiltily.

"Will you two stop!" Carlton said angrily.

* * *

It was an odd group to see walking to an art museum. Two cops, two con men, one FBI agent, and one pharmaceutical salesman with one purpose: to catch a thief. They arrived at the crime scene.

"So, how are we going to find out who the inside guy is?" Gus asked. In reply, Peter pulled out his FBI badge. Shawn didn't feel like doing it the right way. What fun was that? He looked over at Neal, who clearly had the same idea. They both grinned.

In the museum, Peter, Lassiter, and Juliet were trying to get information from a woman that sat at the front desk. She was tired of being interrogated by agents, the usual unhelpful talk. Neal nodded to Shawn and Gus and the three of them left the group.

"Let's find the video room," Shawn whispered.

Neal pulled out a very illegal looking lock pick set.

"Sweet!" Shawn grabbed it out of his hands, looking through it.

"It's just like in the movies," Gus whispered excitedly.

"Show and Tell time is over, kiddies. Give it back," Neal said, holding out his hand.

Shawn stomped his foot and pouted as Gus pried the set out of his hands and gave it back to Neal. Just then, they found a room marked "Security Only".

"Let's see what we can find in here," Neal said as he picked the lock expertly.

"Dude, this is so cool!" Shawn whispered.

_Author's Note: At long last! The writer's block is broken! An acceptable chapter has been written. Por Favor, I beg of you- REVIEW! _


	7. Chapter 7

Neal twisted the knob and the door swung open. The three consultants entered the small security room. TV screens with the current security footage playing plastered the walls. Gus locked the door behind them.

"Let's do some digging," Shawn said as he plopped down at the desk in front of the screens. Neal went through a filing cabinet on the opposite wall. Gus started sniffing around, literally.

"Hey, guys. Do you smell something?"

"Nope," Neal and Shawn said at once.

"It smells like paint."

"Well, we are in an art museum," Neal noted dryly.

"No, in this room. It smells like it's older, too."

"So, now you're an expert at identifying ages of paint?" Shawn asked skeptically.

"I took a class, Shawn." Gus continued to smell.

"I didn't find anything in here," Neal said, moving towards the desk, "Let me check out this desk and see if there's anything hidden in there."

Then all of a sudden, the door's lock clicked open and the handle began to turn.

"Neal, what do we do?" Shawn asked.

"Just... act casual," he suggested. Not much else to do, he thought.

In came a small, rather pudgy man with a large box in his hands. He dropped it in surprise when he saw three strangers that were most definitely not supposed to be in the security room.

"Who are you three?" he demanded.

"We are..." Shawn started.

"Maintenance, just checking up on everything since that piece was stolen," Neal finished.

"A maintenance worker... that wears suits?" the man said skeptically.

"Well, I was on my break. I was just about to change back into my clothes when my co-worker Shawn told me that all three of us were to check on the security system immediately."

"Well, don't mind me. I just have to get my personal belongings out of here."

"Do you work here?" Gus asked.

"Worked. I have to be moving on. I'm doing an online college course, actually," the man said it all very quickly and nervously.

"Well, here we can help you out," Shawn offered.

"Yeah, we got nothing else to do," Gus said helpfully.

"No, that's fine, boys," the man said, even though he was most likely the same age as them.

"Congrats on moving on," Neal said hurriedly, motioning Shawn and Gus to leave. They exited the security room and as soon as the door had closed, Neal showed a CD that was labeled in Sharpie as "Loop".

"Nicely done,"Shawn said, impressed.

"Seemed suspicious to me," Neal said as he pocketed the CD, "Let's show it to Peter."

"Man, do you ever go solo?" Shawn asked.

Neal looked at him straight in the eye, "More than you know."

* * *

In the ten minutes the three consultants were gone, Peter's group had gotten nowhere. They had just given up arguing with the uncooperative front desk worker.

"Well, Neal..." Peter said, turning around to find his CI gone, along with the psychic and his friend.

Lassiter cursed, "... Spencer! Where is he?"

As if on cue, they turned the corner. Shawn and Gus were fist bumping as Neal gave Peter the Caffrey grin. The FBI agent rolled his eyes as Neal held up the CD.

"Let's get going, looks like Shawn found something important," Juliet said to a sputtering Lassiter.

They all headed back to the FBI headquarters and popped the disk in a computer and displayed it in the conference room. Sure enough, the CD played the section of the museum where the stolen painting was previously.

"Well, looks like the guy you met is our thief," Diana Berrigan said as she stopped the loop that went for twenty minutes.

"He just doesn't seem to be the thieving kind, though," Shawn argued, "He seemed nervous, but I don't think he was the one that actually stole the painting. We're looking for a team."

Peter and Neal exchanged glances. They knew what both of them were thinking at the same time: Mozzie.

"I'll get on it," Neal pulled out his cell phone and dialed his paranoid friend.

"What's he getting on?" Lassiter asked, wanting to know, as usual, what was going on.

"He's getting a friend to help us," Peter said simply.

"Oh."

"What we aren't enough for you guys?" Shawn put his arm on Gus's shoulder and his other arm on Juliet's.

"Do you know who would coordinate the best heist team in New York City?" the voice came from Neal's cell phone. He had put Mozzie on speaker.

"You never know what they spirits will tell me," Shawn raised his hand to his head.

"Yeah, right. And I'm bald!"

The White Collar Gang cracked up. Neal took Mozzie off speaker and talked to him in hushed tones. After two minutes of everyone waiting impatiently for what Mozzie was telling Neal, the con man hung up.

"He said it was an elite project. There were two fall guys: the one you met and the guy caught on tape. That was all he had heard about it from his underground sources."

"Well, we still have to get the security worker, maybe he knows more than we think," Juliet said, walking out of the door.

"But, we got the proof illegally," Gus stopped her.

"We'll work on him and get him to confess real quick. Pretend we have legal evidence, and then we really will have it: A full blown confession." Peter said with a smile.

* * *

Back to the museum they went to harass the front desk lady.

"We're back!" Shawn said with vigor. She rolled her eyes and plopped down in her desk chair exasperatedly.

'What do you want this time?"

"Just a name," Peter said, trying to make peace.

"Finally, something I can do!"

"Who is the man that just quit. Short, pudgy? Security Room worker?" Neal asked.

"Mr. Caudwall?"

"Did he recently quit?" Lassiter demanded forcifully.

"Yes, he was acting very strangely lately." the lady noted.

"What was his first name?" Gus jumped in.

"Gregory Caudwell."

"Thank you so much," Juliet said over her shoulder as the group walked quickly away without saying another word.

"Hmph." the front desk woman said with contempt.

* * *

Peter and Neal were headed for Gregory Caudwall's apartment. The Psych gang decided to head back to their hotel. This had not been a relaxing trip like Juliet, Lassiter, and Gus had hoped for. Shawn didn't care either way. Once Lassiter went to his room, Juliet came over to the one Shawn and Gus were sharing.

"You busy Friday?" Shawn said nonchalantly.

"Nope, seven?" Juliet asked with a smile.

"Sure, that will work," he said with a nervous grin.

"What are we going to do?"

"Um... surprise!" Shawn said quickly.

"Oo, I love surprises," she kissed him and then slipped away.

"Wait, where are you going?" he called as Juliet went down the hall.

"Surprise!"

Gus shook his head, "You're so lucky."

Shawn just kept looking where she was standing previously, "I know."

_Author's Note: MWAHAHA I finished, finally. I'll try and update soon. Review for__** major**__ encouragement! _ _Thanks for all the favorites and subscribing, but pretty please review. _


	8. Chapter 8

Neal and Peter were just entering Gregory Caudwell's apartment when a they smelled a putrid scent outside of the door. They exchanged dark looks. Peter kicked down the door yelling, "FBI!" No one in the apartment heard the door crash down or the yell, because the only occupant of the room was dead.

"Call Diana and Jones and get them over here. I want to search for evidence," Peter instructed Neal. The con man nodded solemnly. Gregory had three bullet weapons in his chest. Neal shuddered, guns. Why did they always use guns? He distracted himself by pulling his cell phone out of his suit and dialing the White Collar team. After, he scrolled through his contacts until he found Shawn Spencer.

"Hey, buddy! Do you have an idea of what me and Jules are going to Friday at seven yet?"

"Shawn," Neal said, slightly annoyed, "Gregory Caudwell is dead."

"Murder! Gus, let's get going," Neal heard Shawn yelling to Gus.

"No, Shawn. They won't let you in here. You're not an official consultant on this case."

Shawn snorted, "As if that's ever stopped us before."

Ten minutes later, the whole Psych Gang was at the crime scene.

"No, get them out of here," Peter said instantly.

"What would I have to do to convince you to let us stay?" Shawn asked with puppy dog eyes.

"How about telling me who killed Caudwell?" he said sarcastically.

"I can do that," he said in all seriousness.

"Oh, yeah? Who is it psychic?" Peter's voice was just dripping with skepticism.

"For that impudence, the spirits are trying to tell me something." Shawn began to act like his legs were moving themselves. He headed towards the chair where the corpse was propped up, flailing his arms dramatically.

"Greg," he paused thoughtfully, "Do you mind if I call you Greg?" He waited a couple of seconds, as if waiting for a reply, "Ok, Gregory it is. It may be the last request you'll make to a live person, are you sure I can't call you Greg? It will short the explanation tremendously. Still no? Fine. Gregory here was murdered by a treacherous being," Shawn said, both hands pressed against his forehead, "You'd think he would stay loyal to poor Gregory, but he turned on him," he paused for the dramatic effect.

"Who murdered him?" The White Collar gang practically yelled at him.

"Himself. Gregory committed suicide. His own mind turned on him, made him so scared, there was no choice but to do the heinous deed," Shawn finished, putting his hands down.

"He made it look like a murder so we would investigate it as a murder," Neal concluded, "So, Gregory had a conscience after all."

"He was our only lead! What are we going to do?" Lassiter asked, frustrated.

Juliet followed up with another question, "Was there a note?"

Diana fetched the evidence bag with the note in it, "It's pretty confusing. Looks pretty rushed as well."

Shawn grabbed it out of her hands and removed it from the bag.

"Hey!" Peter said.

"Hi, I'm conducting a case, want to be apart of it?" he retorted. They all gathered around the table that Shawn sat down at. Neal pushed his way through the small crowd. The fake psychic pulled a pen out of Neal's suit. He began to circle the first letter of the first word. Realizing what was happening, Neal grabbed the pen back and circled the second letter of the second word . Once they were done circling what seemed like the rest of the group random letters, Shawn and Neal combined the letters and it made: "The front desk worker did it. I'm free from the consequences."

"So that's why he said something about quilts," Gus noted.

"That's what you think about? Gus, we have to grab that cranky lady before she murders someone else!" Shawn said in exasperation.

"Wait, you said it was a suicide," Peter said.

"I did that so I could stay and figure out who the real murderer was! You're welcome," Shawn said innocently.

"Thank you was not what I had in mind," Peter said sourly.

"Maybe 'We're eternally grateful'? Or perhaps 'What would we do without you?'"

Neal cracked up, Peter was speechless. When Neal did that to Peter, he always threatened to put him back in prison, but Peter couldn't threaten that to a civilian consultant. That must be nice, Neal thought a bit bitterly, lead a regular life while consulting.

Peter ignored the sarcasm and headed to his car. The Psych gang followed.

"Oh, no. Not enough room. You'll have to take a taxi to the museum if you want the action," Peter said, "Let's go Neal." The con man reluctantly went in the black car.

As soon as they drove off, Lassiter hit Shawn in the shoulder, "Great job, Spencer. Now Burke hates us."

"He doesn't hate us, it's not like he said not to come to the museum."

"If he did, would you still go?"

"Well, of course!"

"That's probably why."

"Alright, boys. Let's hail a taxi and get to the museum! Taxi!" Juliet called. A yellow cab pulled to the side and picked them up.

* * *

The Psych and White Collar just joined up when they entered the museum. There was the cranky front desk worker, flipping through a magazine.

"Not you guys again!" she said rolling her eyes.

"One question, what's your full name?" Peter asked.

"Rita Fledging. Why?"

"Rita Fledging, you're under arrest for the murder of Gregory Caudwell and suspected for art theft." Peter said rather monotonously. He signaled for Jones to book her.

"I want my lawyer!" she said with spite.

"You can contact him soon," Neal said simply as she was led away.

"Now to find the painting," Shawn said peppily.

_Well, a little short for my taste. I worked pretty hard to get this done. Ah, well. I hope you're enjoying it! Keep favoriting/subscribing/reviewing! :) _


	9. IMPORTANT AUTHOR'S NOTE!

**Here's the thing: I get really really bored with stories. I re-read this one and the past couple chapters have been blah. I want to know what YOU guys think. Do you want me to continue it? I want my work to be quality, and if it's going to be, I have to know people want more or like it. So, please. Tell me what you think. Review below, I can't stand knowing people look at my story and not telling me that they liked it or not! OK, do you want more? ~Cartega**


	10. Apologies and Thank yous!

**Oh guys, I'm super duper sorry, but I just can't continue. I know you all said you wanted me to continue but I just... can't. If anyone wants to take the story and finish it for me, you're more than welcome to, just ask and give me credit. You guys were awesome but I'm just fresh out of ideas and no matter how much motivation I try and muster it just turns out blah. I hate writer's block, and I want to move on to other things like my sequel to my WC story, Miniaturized. I'm very sad about not being able to finish, but I want quality work and if I gave you anything less than that, then what's the fun? Thanks for following and supporting! You guys were great :) **

**~Cartega **


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